Ugandan children smuggled to UK

Apr 02, 2007

Ugandan children are among those trafficked and smuggled into the United Kingdom, experts have said.

By John Odyek

Ugandan children are among those trafficked and smuggled into the United Kingdom, experts have said.

The children work as domestic servants, sex slaves and as labourers in restaurants and car washing bays.

a case of a child ritual murder was also reported.

Debbie Ariyo, the director of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse, a UK- based NGO, said in the last six months, five cases of children sexually abused and exploited as domestic servants were reported in the UK.

She added: “Sexual exploitation of Ugandan girls is a major problem.

When cases are reported to us, we find them a lawyer and we help solve the problems.”

Ariyo, who was speaking on Wednesday at Hotel Africana, Kampala said the New Scotland Yard did a three-month study last year at Heathrow Airport and discovered that 522 unaccompanied African children arrived in the UK and many were victims of child trafficking.

Margaret Akullo, an officer with the New Scotland Yard, said of 1,738 children who entered the UK through Heathrow Airport last year, 551 were considered at risk.

Over 14 were not traced, 39 were referred to social services, three children were placed on child protection registers and 31 were found to be legally accommodated.

Akullo suggested that African countries set up child protection programmes and recommended that embassies monitor and help children who go abroad.

She said the Police should be trained to curb child-trafficking.

Akullo pointed out that whereas abused children who come out to report are protected by NGOs, many of them feared to report because they are illegal immigrants or their tormentors are their relatives.

The seminar was organised by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect.

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